Female Friendly Spaces in Post-Quake Camps - Nepal

Aura Freedom's post-earthquake Female Friendly Spaces (FFS) are all about education and awareness - disseminating life-saving information to women and girls on their human and legal rights to protect them against violence and exploitation.

But information isn’t the only thing we’ve shared. In each Female Friendly Space (FFS), we’ve hosted regular literacy classes and life skills training – and the results have been nothing short of amazing.

For many of the women in our FFS, this was their first time receiving 'formal' education. But despite being illiterate, they were eager students, quickly learning the alphabet and how to write their own names.

While this may seem simple, the ability to write their names and addresses enabled them to complete vital registration and obtain their identification documents. This powerful act not only faciliates exercising their rights, it also fosters an incredible sense of accomplishment and goes a long way in increasing the self-confidence of these women.

In terms of life skills, the women in our FFS received training on knitting and income generation. Before long, these warriors had mastered these skills, creating beautiful pieces they have been able to sell in local markets. In a time of so much uncertainty following the destruction of the earthquake, these survivors are successfully earning a living from their very own creations. Now, that is resilience!

Behmaya (photo below) is a perfect example of such resilience. Badly injured in the earthquake, she also lost her daughter. Yet, despite her hardship, Behmaya has been an active participant in our life skills training sessions. In fact, with the skills she has learned, she earns enough of an income by selling her knitted creations to provide for her family.

In the end, a little life skills goes a long way in empowering not only these women, but entire communities.